1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a liquid additive thickener which can be added in an object (liquid or liquid solid mixture) to easily form viscous solutions and gels. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid additive thickener which is suitable for use in foods to thicken gravy, dressing, sauce, mousse and jelly easily. The liquid additive thickener is also added suitably to foods for a patient who has mastication and degulutition difficulties due to an eating disorder so as to form viscous solutions and gels easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various thickening agents have been employed in foods as stabilizers for thickeners in the art. These thickening agents are commercially available as dried products in the form of powder, plate and thread, and can be dissolved in cold or hot water in use. The dissolution of such thickening agents, however, generally requires much time and labor. In addition, some thickening agents would produce lumps and cause defective dissolution due to inadequate heating. Sometimes, thermal decomposition may occur. Accordingly, it is not always easy for general consumers to utilize the thickening agents.
No multi-purpose additive thickener in the form of liquid has been either available in practice or even conceived yet in the art. For example, there has been known a seasoned liquid that is mixed with milk to make a dessert mousse. This liquid realizes the form of mousse through the use of a reaction with calcium in milk. Therefore, it has a specified limitation in use. In addition, it is limited in special uses because it is seasoned.
A large disadvantage occurs when the thickening agent is employed to adjust viscosity and the like of nursing and training foods for patients who have mastication and deglutition difficulties caused by an eating disorder. There has been recently noted a technology that can thicken or coagulate foods for persons with mastication and deglutition difficulties. Conventional thickening agents have such forms, however, that are difficult to thicken and coagulate food. For example, the form of powder may invite lumps. In order to improve this problem by formation of particles, a dissolution time would be increased. In addition, a lump may still be formed when the food is heated.
Accordingly, such an additive is desirable that can easily impart viscosity to a water-containing object or gelate it without requiring. the time and labor for heating to dissolve the additive and without causing a lump, as in the case of powder. In particular, such properties are strongly desired for the thickening agent that imparts viscosity and coagulation on the nursing and training foods for the person with mastication and deglutition difficulties.
The present invention has been made to satisfy the above requirements and accordingly has an object to provide a liquid additive thickener, or a liquid thickening agent, which can be added into food and so forth to easily thicken.
The present invention is provided with a liquid additive thickener which comprises a liquid with a fluidity prepared by dissolving a thickening agent into water. The liquid begins to form viscous solutions or gels when it is added to a water-containing object (liquid or liquid solid mixture).
Such the liquid additive thickener is actually prepared as a liquid with a fluidity by adjusting a dissolved concentration of the thickening agent, by inhibiting formation for viscous solution for viscosity of the thickening agent or by employing both.
A liquid thickening agent is inevitably diluted when it is added to a water-containing object, such as food. Therefore, this remains a disadvantage that a certain viscosity and coagulation force larger than those required for the object must be initially imparted on the liquid thickening agent. In addition, if a large amount of the liquid thickening agent is employed to the object, the dilution also becomes large. This causes another disadvantage that factors other than the viscosity and coagulation force may be varied.
For example, when imparting viscosity on a seasoned food, the larger dilution intends to reduce the taste more. Therefore, where the liquid thickening agent is simply produced by the conventional method so as to obtain a desired viscosity and coagulation force without greatly diluting the object, it has a high initial viscosity and thus loses its fluidity. This kind of liquid thickening agent is not easy to use. In addition, even where it is added to food, a desired viscosity and formation for gels (gelation) cannot be obtained by dispersing it over the whole food.
The present invention has the advantage that the thickening agent is dissolved in a liquid and it retains its fluidity on mixing. The liquid may be actually prepared by inhibiting initial viscosity formation for viscous solution of the thickening agent so that the liquid can begin to form viscous solutions and gels after it is added to the object. The liquid may also be prepared by dissolving a reactive thickening agent in a range of concentrations that can provide the liquid with a fluidity so that the liquid can begin to form viscous solutions and gels after it is added to the object together with a component that is reactive with the thickening agent at the same time.
Thus, the prepared liquid thickening agent, unlike the powder, does not make lumps and can be dissolved rapidly without heating when it is added to the object, resulting in a desired viscosity and gelling in a short time.
Although the above-described liquid additive thickeners have not been known in the art, their new uses can be expected according to the present invention.
Consumers have come to have various preferences reflecting individual practices. As for viscosity and formation for gels of foods, they require highly flexible commodities rather than uniform commodities. They require fresh hand-made foods with strictly selected materials rather than ready-made commodities that are mass produced as processed foods. It has not been easy in the art, however, to impart preferable viscosity on, for example, a hand-made dressing so as to adhere to vegetables and so forth to a certain extent. Imparting viscosity in sauces for meat and fish dishes, adjusting viscosity of a liquid starch dressing, and imparting viscosity on a fruit sauce present similar requirements.
The use of the present invention can readily impart and adjust viscosity on the above-described various gravy and so forth and obtain individualized hand-made foods easily. In addition, such commodities as ready-to-serve foods in combination with the liquid additive thickener, according to the present invention, can be realized, which includes, for example, an easy dressing essence that contains a seasoning mix in combination with the liquid additive thickener.
Further, the liquid additive thickener, according to the present invention, can realize the nursing and training foods that form objective viscous solutions and gels in a short time when it is added supplementary to the foods for the person with mastication and deglutition difficulties.